With ages ranging from younger than 8-years-old to older than 80-years-old, community members joined in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel's procession of the holy statues following the church's 90th Grande Festa Mass on Sunday. Photo by Brendan Wills/Times Herald Staff.

BRIDGEPORT — For the 90th straight year, the streets of Bridgeport surrounding Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (OLMC) were closed to automobiles as parishioners and community members joined in the traditional procession of the holy statues following the Grande Festa Mass on Sunday.

According to some parishioners present during the procession and following benediction service, the usually joyous occasion was a mix of emotions this year. The cancellation of the three-day feast that accompanied the procession for the past 89 years added a tinge of sadness to the day for some former OLMC parishioners.

The close-knit nature of the community was evidenced by shouts from parents to their children who gathered on their porches to watch the passing statues, flags and walking rosary:

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“Hey, is that the lady that cuts your hair? Say hi!” or “Look, isn’t that boy in your class?” or “Here comes Mary!”

The usual musical accompaniment, provided by the Verdi Band, greeted parishioners at the door before mass and announced the coming of the statues.

And for the fourth year in a row, Mia Ibrahim, a young parishioner, dressed as Our Lady of Mount Carmel and walked beside her cousin Mia Lewiski, who was dressed in the First Holy Communion gown she wore in May.

But, for devout parishioners, some over the age of 80 who have been coming to the feast since they were little girls, the lack of crowds from the feast welcoming the statues back along Ford Street was an eerie feeling.

“It’s a sad, sad day,” said Dee Rotundo, a long-time OLMC parishioner. “It’s such a beautiful tradition. I truly hope it’s not the last.”

As of now, the new Sacred Heart parishioners do not know the fate of the traditional procession, or any future feasts.

“It’s in the hands of the new pastor,” said Carla Rotundo, Dee’s niece, who came up from Ocean City just to attend the procession. “We don’t know yet if this is the going to be the last time we do this.”

The new pastor of the merged Sacred Heart Parish is Father Timothy O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan celebrated the preceding mass and following Benediction service with Monsignor George Majoros.

In a letter in the Sunday bulletin, O’Sullivan gave the newly formed community updates on the progress of Parish Transition Team made up of parishioners from all three former parishes who will help O’Sullivan guide and serve Sacred Heart and help to form the Parish Pastoral Council in 2016 among other duties.

In the letter, O’Sullivan said the team will help him to “create and coordinate a Parish Calendar of events, which include bringing the traditions and customs of the previous parishes into the life of our New Parish…so that we can plan a parish calendar to include all the things that made our previous parishes active places of worship and community.”

Parishioners will have to wait to see what events will be on the calendar. One woman speculated they will not hear about the future of the feast until after OLMC parishioners’ merger appeal is answered in Rome. Last week, Archbishop Charles Chaput denied their canon appeal of the mergers.

Marjoros spoke to the need of breathing life into the new community during his homily. Majoros urged parishioners to help “plant seeds in good soil” so that the community’s faith can flourish while its neighbors grow closer. Majoros went on to say that faith that is given the right mix of sun and water will be passed down to the hearts of the next generation.

One unnamed woman echoed Majoros’s sentiments.

“We have it in our hearts,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. They can take everything away, but we’re still here.”

Several other members of the community must have been thinking the same thing. Steve and Patrizia Carcarey, co-owners of the Collegeville Italian Bakery held a mini-feast on Saturday and Sunday after the procession. Additionally, flyers inviting community members to Peppers Italian Restaurant in Upper Merion after the procession were distributed before and after mass.

On Wednesday there will be a celebration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s feast day at 7 p.m. at OLMC Church.